European Union retaliatory tariffs to hit U.S. products on Friday

The tariffs are the latest in a tit-for-tat row between the traditionally close allies, which began when Donald Trump introduced harsh tariffs on imported steel and aluminium.

Peanut butter and bourbon whiskey among products on list. "However, the unilateral and unjustified decision of the USA to impose steel and aluminium tariffs on the European Union means that we are left with no other choice", the bloc's trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in a statement on Wednesday.

The EU also launched legal proceedings against the U.S.at the WTO on June 1.

Officials in Brussels, spearheading the member states' response, said the list of USA imports that will now face an extra duty at the European Union border includes steel and aluminium products, agricultural goods and a variety of other products.

A separate 10 percent tariff will be imposed on imports of playing cards.

"We did not want to be in this position", EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in a statement.

Trump has said that the tariffs are needed to protect the nation's national security.

The EU has said that the US has no grounds for implementing the national security policy and is instead moving to protect American industries.

However, President Donald Trump has now asked officials to identify a further $200bn of Chinese goods to be subject to a 10% tariff.

Trump's threats to raise tariffs on imported cars could put $54 billion in annual revenue from European passenger auto exports to the U.S.at risk, according to data from the European statistics office.

Canada and Mexico followed with tit-for-tat tariffs on USA steel and aluminium.

If the plan were accepted, it would mean scrapping the EU's 10 percent tax on vehicle and auto imports from the USA and other nations and the US dropping the 2.5 percent duty it puts on similar imports from the EU.